With GSR, you can tap into unconscious behaviour that is not under cognitive control. Below is an example of how the raw signal is visualized. These bursts occur between 1-5 seconds after the onset of being exposed to the emotional stimuli. Variations in the phasic component are visible as “GSR bursts” or “GSR peaks” due to the sensitivity to specific emotionally arousing stimulus events.
The tonic level can also differ based on the individual.Īlso referred to as the phasic response sits on top of the tonic level and shows significantly faster changes (fluctuating within seconds). The SCL is also known as the tonic level varies and changes very slowly (seconds to minutes) depending on the respondents’ hydration levels, skin dryness, or involuntary regulation. The GSR signal consists of two main elements: Skin Conductance Level (SCL) and Skin Conductance Response (SCR). Skin conductance is captured using skin electrodes which are easy to apply. The signal is sent through the electrode, to the wire that passes the information to the GSR device. You can even examine the data together with the respondent in order to check for potential issues and visualize the impact of breathing, movements, and talking.ĭata is either stored within the device to be later uploaded, transmitted wirelessly to a computer system, or the signal is sent through a further wired connection to a computer.ĭifferent GSR sensors allow different means of transmission, and the choice of each will depend on the kind of research you’re carrying out. When you sweat, even slightly, the conductivity of your skin changes and we know that you’ve just seen or experienced something that changes your state of emotional arousal.Īssessing the quality of the GSR signal before the study commences is important for obtaining accurate and uninterrupted data. In measuring GSR, we place two electrodes either on your fingers or on your wrist and measure the conductivity of the skin between them. As a result, the amount of sweat generated due to emotional arousal often goes unnoticed by the person, however, GSR is able to pick up on these microcosms. When exposing someone to an ad campaign or app design, the signals the nervous system gives are much smaller. Skin conductance is an indication of psychological or physiological arousal or, for example, the degree of intensity of your excitement or fear. The sweat produced on your hands and feet is triggered through emotional arousal, and as we all know it’s emotion that drives action so exploring this through GSR is a valuable tool for analysis and insight. This change in skin conductance is generally termed Galvanic Skin Response (GSR). By changing the balance of positive and negative ions in the moisture that is created, electrical current flows more easily, resulting in measurable changes in skin conductance. Once sweat glands are active, they produce moisture through pores towards the skin surface. The areas where sweat glands are most active varies, the highest being on the forehead and cheeks, the palms and fingers as well as on the sole of the feet. Our body has about three million sweat glands. The sweating on hands is triggered by emotional arousal, meaning whenever we are emotionally engaged, the GSR data shows unique patterns reflecting this level of engagement. GSR bases these measurements on electrodermal activity which derives from the involuntary activation of sweat glands in the skin. This technology allows us to measure the levels of emotional arousal whether that’s unbridled joy or creeping fear. We can learn so much more about the triggers that cause this response through Galvanic Skin Response (GSR). Our skin can reveal a great deal of how we are feeling at any given moment when exposed to emotionally loaded images, videos, or other kinds of stimuli – both positive and negative. Ever get nervous before a first date or a big client presentation? Cue the sweaty palms.